Floral rack



c. J. WHITE FLORAL RACK NSW, 4, 1947,

r' Filed Aug; 21, 1944 Patented Nov. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES `'PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in floral racks.

More particularly the invention has to do with fioral racks of the collapsible type such, for example, as that shown in my Letters Patent No. 2,115,693, issued April 26, 1938, wherein a series of impalement prongs are pivotally attached to certain of the members of the rack which by gravity fall to position between certain other members to .receive floral pieces when the rack is extended, and which may close by gravity to permit the rack to be collapsed.

The object herein is to provide means for positively operating the prongs in the closing movement of the rack parts, or Without depending upon gravity for prong movement, said means being such that the operator inthe act of collapsing the rack will become conscious of the fact, if the operation is faulty, that an obstruction behind a prong may 'be preventing closing of the same.

A further object, also, is that should an obstruction be present behind a prong the said means will set up a force contrary to that applied by the operator as -a notification of trouble to the yend that the rack parts will not be strained. That is to say, the counterforce will `be such that further pressure by the operator must be halted until the obstruction is removed.

To the end that the invention may be understood the appended 4drawing 1is provided .forming part hereof wherein Figure 1 is a iront .elevation `of a `floral rack' of the type named.

Figure 2 is 'a detail of part of the rack of Figure A1, much enlarged, thisalso being a front elevation.

Figure 3 is 'an 'enlarged detail of parts shown in Figure 2 as 'shown in side elevation.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of rstill other parts, portions being shown in section.

Figure 5 is a transverse section of part of the rack and parts associated therewith.

Figure 6 is 'afront elevation ofthe parts shown ijn'Figure 3.

Figure 7 'is a sleeve shown iin perspective..

Figure '8 shows in fp'e'rsp'ective a prong .shownin other figures.

Figure 9 Yis aa iront elevation impart section :of certain -other parts ofthe structure.

Figure `9a shows in perspective part `of a `ro'cl in detail, and

Figure '1'0 is a side 'elevation of the same parts shown in Figure '9, also 'in part section.

moved to a substantially horizontal position in order to cause the impalement prongs to fall by gravity away from between certain members of the rack to permit full closing or collapsing of Athe latter, the .present improvement causes the said prongs to be automatically withdrawn from between said members and to be Vheld snugly against the members on which they are pivotecl as will appear.

While said patent illustrates means for positively swinging a prong on its support said means is of a type applicable only to a certain part of the rack whereas in the present application a more simple arrangement Ais employed to accomplish the purpose.

In the drawing hereof I denotes in this instance each of three supporting members lying parallel to each other serving as standards for the whole structure to be described, and though not shown the whole may be 'provided with .a rear supporting structure after the manner .of an easel.

These said members l may .each be of rectangular form in cross section, in this instance only, a front 'face of' which has a groove 2 extending longitudinally thereof, see Figures 4 and -5 to kreceive an yelongated part such as a rod 3., for example, shiitable lengthwise therein.

Forward of these vmembers isa structure of a lazy-tongs arrangement consisting of crossed members 4, f5 as in Figures 1 and 2, these being pivoted upon each other where they cross as indicated at a stud E extending from a part such as a sleeve 1, for example, on leach member l, also as :suggested in said Figures =4 and 5, so that in the collapsing movement of all of the parts named the sa-id sleeve is `free to shift along said mem-ber i, except, however, as to those sleeves Whereas in the use of the rack of my above named patent it 'is -required "that said rack be which lie on the dotted line a-a, for example, Figure 1, which :are `iixed to the members I on which they 'are mounted in order that jointly with'the members 4, 5 the rack Will be stabilized in vall respects, the balance of the said sleeves, however, shift with respect ato those thus liixed in place.

.lt will :now be seen that :in :collapsing the lazytongs structure 'the -slldable sleeves 'at position above and 'below the zxed sleeves `will shift in opposite directions.

Pivote'd to the members fl atclesired intervals at the 'openings between the ymembers 4, 15 is a series o'f'impalementprongs one of which isillustratecl in Figure '8, see also Figure 3. vEach includes a pair of :spaced ears 9 lthrough which, and the member il, extends fa ipin I0. 'The prongs are so pivoted that 1in ra, `1subs'ta'ntially upright position 3 of the rack they will fall forward through the spaces between the said cross members 4, as shown in FigureS in broken lines.

It is noted that the heel of each prong may include an extension II which substantially abuts the face of a member I when the prong is in the position named. Also it is observed that said eX- tensions may be outwardly curved and that so curved or bent it lies in the path of movement of a plate or tab I2 or equivalent means on a named rod 3, said tab normally lying below and spaced from the extension II when the rack is in upright position, i. e., when said prong is extended.

Referring now to Figures 9 and 10 it Will be seen that the groove 2 which may be uniform in width throughout a member I may be enlarged into a cavity 2, said cavity being at the upper limit of said member. The upper end of the rod 3 extends into said cavity and has an abutment 22 thereon within the latter above which, and resting thereon, is a portion such as a collar I3 slidable on said rod above which is a spring I4 encircling the rod and lying between said collar and an abutment I5 of the rod. The named abutment 22 may be of any type such, for example, as a flattened and spread portion of the rod as in Figure 92'-,

The uppermost sleeve I of one or more of the members I has an inturned extension '12, Figure 7, which extends into the slot 2 to travel therealong. This extension is adapt-ed to engage beneath the collar I3, Figure l0, and move it in a direction to compress the said spring I4.

Figure 2 illustrates in both full lines and broken lines the manner of ,collapsing the rack, the dotted lines b, b denoting the abutting position of the members 4, 5, and their alignment with the adjacent member I.

As stated, the prongs 8 are extended through the spaces between the members 4, 5 into and beyond them in the erected position of the rack.

The act of collapsing the rack naturally moves the extremities of the said member 4, 5 farther apart and therefore the upper extremities carrying the sleeves I which have the inturned extensions 'I2 will, by the latter in its travel engage beneath and lift the collar I3 thereby lifting the rod by pressure against the spring.

The raising of a rod also results in moving the tabs VI2 of the rods upwardly to abut upon and close the prongs adjacent each of the latter against the member I.

At such a time should the stem of a ilower or some other obstruction chance to lie behind the prong the collar I3 will compress the spring. The operator upon noticing a force counter to his action is clearly aware of some such obstruction and knows that it must be removed, and he is also aware that undue strain on the parts of the rack may result if he uses further undue force.

When the rack is totally collapsed the prongs lie against the members I, and the springs are under such compression that said prongs are iirmly held in abutment with said members entirely out of the paths of travel of the members 4, 5. The spring compression continues until the last named members of the rack, as the latter spreads, are in such positions that the prongs are free to fall outwardly clear of said members 4, 5 at which time, of course, the tabs I2 have moved from prong engagement. Thus, together with the actions already described the prongs are never in interfering positions during rack adjustments.

While a preferredstructure is illustrated and described herein other equivalent means may be used such as would lie within the meaning of the invention `and within the scope of the claims to follow.

I claim:

1. The combination with a supporting member, a prong pivoted thereon adapted at one end to swing to and from the same, a part shiftable along the supporting member for engaging and positively moving the prong toward said supporting member, of a second'part shiftable adjacent the latter and with respect to the first named part, and means interposed between and operatively engaging both the first named part and tne said second part adapted to yield when the prong resists movement toward said supporting member in the travel of the rst named part and during the movement of the said second named part.

2. In a flo-ral rack of the collapsible type, in combination, a supporting member, a prong pivoted thereto adapted to swing to two extreme positions in a given plane, a rod shiftable lengthwise along said member, two spaced abutments on said rod, a collar slidable on the rod between the abutments, a spring also on said rod confined between one of the abutments and said collar, a part slidable on the said member adapted to engage the collar for compressing the spring between said collar and an abutment, a second part slidable on the member normally spaced from but adapted to be carried into abutment with the prong to close the same upon the member, a tab on said rod adjacent the last named part, and a lazy tongs structure consisting of a pair of crossed members, certain of the pairs of crossed members at their places of crossing having a pivotal connection separately with the rst and second named parts, said crossed members being movable relatively to each other in collapsing the rack, and when moved imparting movement to the rod to carry the tab into abutment with the part adjacent the prong to swing the latter, and also to shift the said collar upon the spring in moving the said second named part.

3. A floral rack of the collapsible type including in its construction a supporting member, a prong pivoted thereon adapted to swing between two extreme positions, a pair of spaced parts shiftable along said member, a rod adapted to shift lengthwise along said member, -a tab on the rod to engage one of the parts to move the same into abutment with the prong to swing the same in one direction, a pair of spaced abutments on the rod near the other of the named part, a collar on the rod between the tWo abutments, a spring on the rod between one of the abutments yand said collar, the said other part adapted to engage the collar and shift the rod by placing tension upon the spring in engaging and shifting of that said part, the shifting of the rod also shifting the named tab to engage and shift the first named part.

4. A floral rack including in its construction a pair of supporting members, an impalement prong pvoted on one of them to swing to two extreme positions in a given plane-a pair 0f collapsible members crossing each other in pivotal relation and pivoted to one of the supporting members at their place of crossing, one of the said crossing members being shiftable along the other supporting member longitudinally thereof in the act of collapsing of the rack, means between the prong and the named crossing member at that portion of the latter adjacent the last named supporting member to engage and move the prong in one direction of its swing during the shifting movement of said crossing member, and means included in the structure for providing a yielding pressure of the iirst named means against said prong when the two latter are brought into abutment.

5. A iioral rack including in its construction a pair of supporting members, an impalement prong pivoted on one of them to swing to two extreme positions in a given plane, a pair of collapsible members crossing each other in pivotal relatio-n and pivoted to one of the suppo-rting members at their place of crossing, one of the said crossing members being shiftable along the other supporting member longitudinally thereof in the act of collapsing of the rack, a part on the last named supporting member shiftable therealong by the last named crossed member, a rod movable lengthwise along the said supporting member, a shiftable co-llar on the rod to receive abutment of said part, an abutment on said rod, a spring interposed between the collar and the abutment, and a tab on the rod adjacent the position of the prong, the collapsible members when moving toward each other adapted to shift the named part to compress the spring through said collar to thus shift the rod for engaging the said tab thereof with and to move the said prong in one direction of its swinging movement.

6. A collapsible rack including in its construction a supporting member, a prong pivoted on the member adapted to swing in a lateral direction to and from the same, a part movable adjacent the member including an extension adapted in its movement to engage and swing the prong on its pivot, a structure pivoted on the member adapted for movement adjacent the same and carrying an extension, a slidable portion on said part shifted by the last named extension, and elastic means operatively engaging the slidable portion, said portion adapted to be placed under compression in one direction of movement of the named piv-y oted structure.

7. A collapsible floral rack including in its construction a supporting member, a prong pivoted on the member adapted to swing toward and away from the same, a part movable adjacent the member including a portion to engage and swing the prong toward said member in the collapsible movement of the rack parts, a spring on the part adapted under pressure thereagainst to operatively engage the same, a second member movable adjacent the i'lrst said member, and a part extending therefrom adapted to operatively enn gage the spring to compress it in said collapsible l collapsible structure to engage and shift the first named part, and means between the two parts, engaging both, for providing an elastic pressure upon the prong at one extreme of its swing in collapsed position of said structure.

9. A collapsible iioral rack including in its construction a supporting member, a prong pivoted at one end thereon normally free to swing away from the same, a shiftable part adjacent the member to operatively engage the prong to swing it toward the member, normally inactive elastic means to engage and move the part into engagement with the prong, and a member adapted in the adjustment of the rack to engage the said means to place it under tension against the named part for moving the latter under elastic pressure against the prong when said prong is under a iorce set up counter to that of said part.

l0. In a collapsible floral rack, in combination, a series of erected supports, a prong pivotally mounted on one of the supports adapted to swing in a lateral direction toward and away from the same, a mounted part adapted to be shifted along the support longitudinally thereof, a lazy tongs structure comprising pivotally connected collapsible crossed members pivotally attached to the supports, certain of said members being-operatively connected to said part, the members in the collapsing thereof adapted to shift said part into abutment with, and to swing said prong toward the support carrying'it, and resilient means included in the structure by which to provide a yielding pressure of the part upon said prong.

CLARENCE J. WHITE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,083,092 Hannah Dec. 30, 1913 y 2,115,693 White Apr. 26, 1938 

